It might sound funny to you but a lot of the clients I work with don’t have an information problem when it comes to fat loss.
They’re well educated, well read, they’ve likely already been successful more than once losing fat but the weight keeps coming back and now they’re stuck.
So, the common refrain is: I know what to do I just can’t seem to do it!
Here are 4 tips to consider:
-Make the goal smaller. Let’s assume you have 50 pounds to lose. Depending on how you view that goal, it may seem like too much of a chore and too daunting of a task. Make it smaller. Change the goal to 5 pounds and see what changes you start to make to get the needle to move. Do you snack less, drink less alcohol, go for more walks, etc.? For many people, 5 pounds can be just enough to give you some momentum, some motivation, and some clarity about what needs to change so that you can tackle the next 5 pounds from there.
-Examine your schedule. If you’re currently struggling to get started with fat loss, it may be because your current schedule and priorities provide a lot of comfort and familiarity. Disrupting the status quo can be more challenging than you realize. Look at certain areas of your daily life and see what can possibly be improved on. For instance, let’s say that you have been going to bed later than normal. As a result, you’re sleeping in later than need be and you’re rushing around in the morning (when you “should” be trying to exercise). Make a pact with yourself (and probably your significant other) to scale back the time to go to bed by 30-60 minutes. You’re trying to create enough “blank space” in your day to make time for exercise, meal prepping, self care, etc. Sometimes you can do this all on your own and sometimes you need the help of family members to help take some of the load off of your shoulders.
-Is now a bad time? I keep seeing this well-meaning sentiment from coaches in the industry who are trying to make a case for “putting in the work” no matter what. I understand it. I can appreciate where it’s coming from but I’m going to play to your defense and say that sometimes fat loss might not need to be the top priority. Yes, we all work within the same 24 hours but those 24 hours don’t look the same to each of us. If you have more on your plate than what you can handle right now, give yourself a reasonable and realistic timeframe to put the brakes on fat loss and focus on weight maintenance for the moment. Maybe you’re in a caregiving role for an aging parent, maybe you’re the parent who is doing the majority of the chauffeur duties for children in the home. Whatever the reason that you feel you can’t put the focus on yourself and your goals, look at how long you’ll be in that position. What can be delegated on to others, who can help relieve some of the stress you’re working with, and what’s the amount of time (days, weeks, months) where you can’t physically or mentally handle more? I’ll give you a good example that many people can relate to: trying to focus on fat loss between late November and the end of December. Once you recognize that, you have 11 months out of the year to start prioritizing your needs again. So, zoom out on your current responsibilities and priorities in life. Give yourself a time frame between when you need to pause and handle those priorities and when you can resume what you need to for yourself. I will say: there’s rarely a perfect time so, in many cases, you’ll need to create the opening for yourself OR life will have a funny way of interfering indefinitely.
-Revisit your values. Let me share something with you from many years of working with clients online and face-to-face. There is often a conversation and/or space on an intake form to ask about your values. With rare exception, the two values most often listed (in no particular order): Health and Family. Take a moment to consider how you’re honoring those values. How do your actions and behaviors align with those values? If you value your health, what steps do you take on a daily and weekly basis to focus on improving your health? If you value your family, how does your current health reflect on what you’re able to do for and with your family. I should add that fat loss in and of itself is not always a reflection of health. For some people, a focus on fat loss might coincide with unhealthy behaviors. However, if you take a moment to write down 3-5 personal values and how your current lifestyle supports them, it can provide some clarity for where you currently are vs. where you want to be.
(Photo courtesy of Nik)
